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New Alarm Over Mad Cow Disease

BONN, GERMANY — Concerns over mad cow disease flared anew Wednesday in Europe, with Germany banning imports of British and Swiss beef and the European Union mulling sharp cuts in beef production.

In France, authorities slaughtered another herd of cows after discovering the ninth case since the start of the year. The agriculture minister expressed fears of an economic crisis.

The actions demonstrate continuing anxiety over mad cow disease, which bores sponge-like holes into cow brains and is linked to a similar illness in humans.

Also Wednesday, the European Union's top agriculture official prepared to cut beef production sharply to ease the "unparalleled" crisis. Consumers have shunned beef across Europe, sending prices and demand plummeting.